All roads lead to Alappuzha on the occasion of Kettukazha
Published March 12, 2008 | 
Alappuzha: The highly acclaimed ‘Chettikulangara Kettukazhcha,’ a breathtaking visual spectacle, attracts thousands of devotees from all over Kerala and abroad to the Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple at Mavelikara near here.
This temple is the second largest temple, next only to Sabarimala, under the administration of Travancore Devaswom Board. The temple is believed to be over 1200 years old.
Jagadambika of Chettikulangara, the Goddess of Oodanadu, is conceived as Saraswathi, the goddess of knowledge in the morning, Maha Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity in the afternoon and Sri Durga, symbolizing power at night.
This annual festival is held on the auspicious day of the ‘Bharani’ of the Malayalam month of ‘Kumbham.’ This festival celebrated with pomp and fervor is popularly known as the Kumbhamela of South. The main highlights of the festival are Kuthiyottam and Kettukazha. Kuthiyottam is a ritual dance practiced and perfected through several centuries to the accompaniment of folk music and an ensemble of musical instruments. It starts one week prior to the festival day. All the houses will be tastefully decorated with the portrait of the deity prominently installed in temporary structures.
The devotees from the neighboring six provinces make offerings to the goddess and the Impressive processions of these offerings in the form of specially designed gigantic motifs is referred to as Kettukazha, which will wind its way along the allay ways that lead to the temple. The ‘Kettukazhchas’ this year included five chariots, six horse motifs and massive idols of Bheema and Hanuman, the revered figures of the Hindu epics.